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Innaugural Event a Success!

View more photographs from the event

Photo: Freeman's Auction

Bacon addresses the crowd of over 300 in Freeman's main auction room. Click for enlargement.

The Ed Bacon Foundation was launched on November 12, 2004 at the 200-Year Anniversary Celebration of Freeman's Auction in Philadelphia. Freeman's, America's oldest auction house and a respected Philadelphia institution since 1805, dedicated its bicentenary to honoring Edmund N. Bacon. All proceeds from the event went towards creating the Ed Bacon Foundation. The event was a great success with over 300 guests in attendance, and over $7,000 raised for the Foundation.

The festivities took up two floors of Freeman's auction house with a preview of the upcoming Americana sale creating a stunning backdrop. The event began with a reception, and concluded with a presentation panel of speakers, brought together as a tribute to Bacon. A number of prominent Philadelphians were in attendance, as well as three of Bacon's children.

Guests gathered in the upstairs main auction space for the presentation, as Bacon sat on a sofa just beside the speaker's podium, surrounded by friends and family. The presentation began with remarks from Paul Roberts, President of Freeman's, and Samuel M. "Beau" Freeman, sixth-generation descendent of the Freeman family. Freeman then awarded Bacon the "Lagos Heart of Philadelphia" award. To an extended ovation from the crowd, Bacon accepted the award and made a moving speech, stating that "I have never viewed Freeman's as a commercial enterprise, but as an old friend." Bacon has maintained ongoing contact with Freeman's over the years, and earlier in 2004 auctioned a number of his rare books at Freeman's Book Sale.

Photo: Freeman's Auction

Freeman's Chairman Samuel M. "Beau" Freeman presents Bacon with the "Lagos Heart of Philadelphia" award. Click for enlargement.

Following Bacon's remarks came a panel of speakers lauding Bacon and his achievements. Speakers included John Andrew Gallery, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Preservation Alliance; Andrew Hohns, founding Board Member of the Ed Bacon Foundation and Managing Director of Cohen Bros. and Co.; Gregory Heller, founding Board Member of the Foundation and Director of Planning for the Parkside Historic Preservation Corp.; and James L. Brown IV, Executive Director of the Parkside Historic Preservation Corp.

Brown precluded his speech with a film clip from Understanding Cities: City of the Future, a 1980s film on city planning narrated by Ed Bacon. Afterwards, his wife, Charlotte Brown, presented Bacon with a framed quote by General Douglas MacArthur on the meaning of age, explaining that even at 94, Bacon still contains the essence of youth.

Representatives from Freeman's as well as the Directors of the Ed Bacon Foundation considered the event a great success. Coverage of the event appeared in Philadelphia Style, Bucks: The Art and Culture Magazine, and Antique Week.

Freeman's Bicentenary was a wonderful way to kick off the Ed Bacon Foundation, and the Directors of the Ed Bacon Foundation are very grateful to Freeman's for this opportunity. The Foundation looks forward to maintaining a relationship with Freeman's as it seeks to bring tribute to Bacon's life and legacy in Philadelphia.